ZAIDA GLIBANOVIC and ZOE ASKEW
By ZAIDA GLIBANOVIC and ZOE ASKEW
IT has been a horror week on roads around Moe and Newborough, with two separate incidents leading to deaths.
Tragedy struck the region twice in one week as two young lives were lost on the same stretch of highway within three days of each other.
Police are investigating the death of a 17-year-old male in Moe in the early hours of Friday, November, 3. Emergency services were called after reports of a male with injuries on the Princes Freeway at about 3.15am.
The teenager, who is yet to be formally identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigations are ongoing into the exact cause of the incident. How he came to be on the road is not yet known.
Police have spoken with witnesses and are investigating the possibility that he may have fallen from a nearby overpass.
Detectives are seeking to speak with a truck driver who may be able to assist with their investigation.
The truck driver was seen carrying a blue or green shipping container at the time.
On the morning of the incident, the Princes Freeway westbound lanes were closed between John Field Drive and Old Gippsland Drive for the investigation, with all traffic diverted through Moe.
Motorists had to be extra mindful of traffic and speed limits while detouring through Moe.
Anyone who witnessed the incident, has dashcam/CCTV footage of a man walking near the road or has any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or log onto crimestoppers.com.au
Just three days earlier, a Traralgon man in his early 20s was killed and pronounced dead at the scene and three other occupants of the car were injured after their car struck a barrier on the Princess Freeway in Newborough at about 3am on Tuesday, October 31.
The driver is suspected to have lost control of the vehicle on a bend near the John Field Drive exit.
The three others – two men and a woman – were taken to Latrobe Regional Hospital. The men are in a stable condition.
Traffic stood still on Tuesday as those travelling along the Princes Freeway toward Morwell were diverted through nearby towns of Newborough and Yallourn North.
The 21-year-old male driver of the vehicle was questioned at the Morwell Police Station as reported by the Herald Sun.
Police are of the understanding that occupants in the car were known associates of another.
As reported in the Herald Sun, Police are considering whether the wet weather might have played a part in the incident. How the collision happened is still under investigation.
Not to be outdone, another road incident occurred on Monday morning around 7.26am.
VicEmergency reported a road incident yet again on the westbound lanes of the Princes Highway just before Yarragon.
It was alleged by witnesses at the Gippsland Greenhouse Produce Farm, which is situated along the Princes Highway, that a truck was pulling into the premises when it was rear-ended by another truck.
There were no injuries, with both drivers walking away relatively unscathed. The same cannot be said for the trucks, both of which experienced extensive damage with vehicle wreckage sprawled across the major highway.
For the third time in seven days, traffic along the Princes Highway came to a standstill as westbound traffic was diverted at the Ashby Street intersection onto Waterloo Road, Trafalgar.
Facebook users complained of traffic jams on the Trafalgar Community Notice Board: “On Waterloo road … I’ve got time for a snooze … hardly moving,” one Facebook comment read.
There has been 244 deaths on Victoria’s roads already this year, a huge increase on this time last year. In 2022 a total of 241 people lost their lives.
Police have expressed mounting concern about seatbelt non-compliance as authorities record a concerning spike in motorists failing to buckle up.
Seatbelts are one of the most fundamental car safety measures, pivotal in preventing deaths and serious injuries in a crash, yet a shocking number of Victorians are flouting the road law.
As if emergency crews weren’t busy enough, a building fire broke out on the corner of Bennett Street and Narracan Drive in Moe around midday on Monday. Emergency Services were quickly on the scene to extinguish the blaze.
Anyone with information on the above mentioned incidents have been urged to contact police.
